Steering mechanism for motor vehicles



H. M. DENYES. STEERlNG MECHANISM FOR moms VEHICLES. AiPLkCATION HLiDOCT-17, I921.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

Svwemtoz 7/522; j/[Zgzyei Z351 GHMM M W 8 W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY M. DENYES,

BATION, O1 DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

A CORPORATION 01' DELAWARE.

S IEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR. VEHICLES.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

provide an improved steering mechanism 1,425,754. Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed October 17, 1921. Serial No. 508,844.

Toall ohomitma camera:

Be it known t at I, I-Lmnr M. DENYES,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Se inaw, county ofSaginaw, and State of ichigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steering Mechanism for Motor Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, commas, and exact description, such as willenable others skilled in the art to' which the invention relates to makeand use the same, reference being made therein to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to steering mechanism for automobiles, motortrucks, and similar self-propelled vehicles, and particularly tosteering mechanism of the general class or type in which two oppositelyarranged cams carried by a rotatable steering shaft act to impartoscillatory motion to a shaft through a bearing member carried bysaidshaft, and which is always in engagement with both of said cams;examples of which type of steering mechanism are disclosed in the UnitedStates patents to H. J. Hert, No. 980,636, Jan. 3, 1911, for steering aparatus for automobiles, and H. Marles, 0. 1,189,985, July 4, 1916, forsteering ar for mechanically propelled vehicles; this present inventionbeing in the nature of an improvement u on steering mechanism of thetype to whic the above mentioned patents re ate.

The rincipal object of my invention is to provide means in steeringmechanism of the type above referred to whereby such lost motion as mayfrom time to time develo between the cams and the bearing mem r uponwhich they 0 erate may be taken up, and back-lash or ost motion in thesteering mechanism as a whole thus prevented. The features whereby theparts may be thus adjusted also provide steering mechanism in which suchvariations as ocour in the manufacture of the various parts of thedevice may likewise be compensated for and a steerin mechanism providedwhich will be free rom back-lash when assembled and initially installed,and which may be kept freefrom looseness dur ng the life of themechanism by properly admstmg the same from time in time.

A further object of my invention is and modifications of the t pe orclass above referred to which 1s simp er in construction, and which maybe more readily manufactured, assembled and installed than hasheretofore commonly been the case in steering mechanisms of the tygp inquestion.

ith the above and other objects of invention in view, my inventionconsists in the improved steering mechanism illustrated in its preferredform in the accompanying drawing and in such variations thereof as comewithin the scope of the concluding claims and such as will be obvious tothose skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a view for the most part in side elevationshowing my improved steering mechanism;

Figure 2 is a view upon a longitudinally extending plane indicated bythe line 2-2,

Figure 1 igure 3 is a view showing my improved steering mechanism partlyin plan and partly in section upon a transverse plane indicated by theline 3-3, Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing a section upon a plane indicatedby the line H, Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates a rotatablesteerin shaft the lower end of which is supports in bearings 6, 7provided in a suita e casing or housing 8 and in a head 9 removable fromsaid housing, as shown in Figure 2, and which steering shaft or post isprovided with the usual steering wheel 19 at its upper end. The steeringshaft or post ordinarily extends through a suitable stationary housing10 for supporting and protecting the same, although this is a featurewith which this present invention is in no wag concerned.

ecured to and partaking of the movement of the steering shaft 5 andlocated at the lower end thereof within the housing 8 are two oppositelyarranged cam members 11 12; these cams bein preferably of the s ira orsnail form so that a high point 0 one and a low oint of the other lie inone and the same p ane in all the a let positions of the cams, as willbe on erstood from Fi ure 2 of the drawing.

he reference numeral 13 designates an oscillating shaft extendingtransverse to vided for adjusting the bearing member 'may the steeringshaft 5 and one end of which is be variously mod fied within the sec ofsup orted m a bearing 14 in the housing 8, the concludin claims; and myinvention is while the other end thereof is supporte in regarded asncludmgeother forms of ad- 5 a bearing 15 carried by a removable h'eadJustable bearing mem r for takin up lost 16 secured to the casin as bestshown in motion in the mechanism due to lac of con- Figure 3, so thatthe s aft may be introtact between the cam members and the bearducedinto the casin as the parts are asmg member, and is not limited to thearsembled. This shaft is provided with an en tlcular form of bearingmember and ad net- 10 larged rtion or boss 17 inside the casing, mgmeans therefor illustrated and herembewhich oss is hollow and provides acylinfore described so long as such other forms drical recess 18 facintoward the cam memcome within the scope of the concluding bers 11, 12hereinbe ore mentioned. claims.

Locatedwithin the cylindrical recess 18 of The oscillating shaft 13 isprovided with a 15 the oscillating shaft is a bearing member 20 steeringarm 28 the free end of which is opwhich follows the cam members 11, 12as the erative y connected with the front wheels of t in h ft 5 irotated, d i l ay in the vehicle through suitable link mechanism,contact with both said cams, and through and through which motion iscommunicated which member oscillatory movement is imto sald wheels inorder to effect the steering 20 parted to the said shaft as the steeringshaft of the vehicle, as will be understood. 35 is rotated. This bearingmember is adjustn view of the premises, it will be apprebl ithi threcess 18 in whi h it; i elated that my invention provides a steeringhoused so that the same may be moved tomechanism of the typehereinbefore reward and from the cam members to thereby ferred towherein the oint or connection be- 25 take up such lost motion as may bepresent, tween the cam members and the oscillating or which may developdue to the wear of the shaft may be adjusted if and when it beparts; thebearing member as a whole being mes necessary to do so, and provides acreed toward the cams to take up such lost ering mechanism in which suchslight moti as will b r iated, variations of size as commonly occur inthe 30 In the form of my invention illustrated m ufacture of elementsintended to be this adjustment of the bearing member 20 is n lb l Onewith another may be compen-r rovided fo b hard n d x n ibl b ar. satedfor as the mechanism is assembled and 111g washer 21 located within therecess 18 nstalled and in which 1008811858 0! back-lash and made u ofthree like wedge-shaped segn he ng m ch n m s a Wh e may be $5 ments, ass own in Figure 4; which segken u from time to time and the parts mentsare forced a art and act as wedges kept tig t and properly adjustedrelative to betweenthe top wal of the recess and the 1 otherupper end ofthe bearing member and the ving thus described and explained my hearingmember itself thus forced against mventlon, I claim and desire to secureby 40 the cam'members by a hollow set screw 22 Letters Patent: 7 195engaging said washer and which screw in 1. In steering mechanism of theclass deturn is locked in place by a hollow look not scribed, arotatable steering shaft; two op- 23. The housing or casing 8 isprovided positely arrangedcam members carried by with an openingopposite which the lock said shaft and located adjacent the lower 46 nut23 and set-screw 22 lie when the oscillatend thereof; an oscillatingshaft located admg shaft is in its middle position and jacent said camsand extending transverseto through which a, suitable tool may be insaidsteering shaft; shearing member cartroduced to manipulate the saidelements to ried b said oscillating shaft and with which adjust thesame, said opening being closed both t e cam members aforesaid engage,and

60 by a plug 24 after the parts have been propwhich bearing member islocated between erl yhadfisted. V the axes of sald'steering shaft andsaid ose armg member 20 is therefore adcillatmg shaft; and means formoving said ustable relative to the oscillating shaft 13 hearing membertransverse to said oscillatwherelg it is carried to thereby move its ingshaft and toward and from said cam 55 expose contacting surface towardand from members.

the cam members 1, 12. In the form of my 2. In steering mechanism of theclass deinventlon illustrated the immediate contact scribed, a rotatablesteering shaft; two opbetween said bearmgmember and the cam positelyarranged cam members carried by members is provlded an annular saidshaft and ocated adjacent the lower end to hardened washer 25 who 15 suported thereof; an oscillating shaft adjacent said m a second washer 26throu 'i'ncams and extendi transverse to said steertermedlate ballbearings as shown, t e two ing shaft and whic shaft is provided withwashers surround ng an extension or neck a recess adjacent said cammembers; abear- 27 of the bearnl'g-memben hose, however. in; memberlocated within said recess d on as well also as the particular meanspro. with which both the cam members aforesaid engage; and means foradjusting said bearmg member toward and from said cam members.

3. In steering mechanism of the class described, a rotatable steeringshaft; two oppositely arran ed cam members carried by said shaft andcoated adjacent the lower end thereof; an oscillating shaft locatedadjacent said cams and extending transverse to said steering shaft andwhich shaft is enlarged and provided with a cylindrical recess adjacentsaid cam members; a cylindrical bearing member located within saidrecess and with which the cam members aforesaid engage; and a set screwcarried by said oscillating shaft and in operative engagement with saidbearing member.

4. In a steering mechanism of the class described, a rotating steeringshaft; two oppositely arranged cam members carried by said shaft andlocated adjacent the lower end thereof; an oscillating shaft locatedadjacent said cams and extending transverse to said steering shaft, andwhich shaft is enlarged intermediate its ends and is. provided with acylindrical recess; a cylindrical bearing member located within saidrecess; a bearing washer located Within said recess and in engagementwith said bearing member; a set screw carried by said 0scillating shaftand adapted to enga e said bearing washer; and an annular earing washercarried by said bearing member and with which both the cam membersaforesaid engage.

5. In steering mechanism of the class described, a suitable housing; arotatable steering shaft supported in bearings carried by said housing;two oppositely arranged cam members carried by said shaft and locatedwithin said housing; an oscillating shaft supported in bearings carriedby said housing and extending transverse to said steering shaft; abearing member carried by said oscillating shaft and with which both thecam members aforesaid engage; and means accessible through an openingprovided in said housing for adjusting said bearing member relative tosaid oscillating shaft and toward and from said cam members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature.

- HARRY M. DE ES.

